Two lovers and two black eyes
by SSMcPriceley
Summary: Kevin and Poptarts try to save Connor from an abusive relationship with Steve. McPoptarts, McPriceley, McBladeley, Connor/Kevin/Poptarts love triangle. Rated M for language, violence.
1. Chapter 1

"We never go out any more Connor." Steve lounged on the sofa his feet resting lazily on the coffee table. He ran his fingers through greasy, dirty blonde hair while swapping his right foot over his left. The mud that was caked on his heavy army boots landed on the recently cleaned table. Connor watched forlornly as his work was undone.

When Connor had returned from his mission he'd found himself at a complete loss. As the life he once knew crumbled around him, Steve had been there and stupidly he'd fallen into the role of long-suffering housewife.

Connor was young, naïve and unemployed and Steve was incredibly attractive and owned his own house. There was no question of what to do. They had begun with a rocky relationship at best, something reminiscent of their 5th grade antics. It was love-hate. Connor loved Steve. Steve hated Connor.

Connor made sure he was out the house as much as possible, spending most evenings with a missionary friend or at the singles bar. Steve had become more and more possessive over Connor and set up curfews. Connor had protested by bringing his friends round to the house but Steve could easily turn aggressive.

One time it had turned particularly nasty, Connor was in his room with his old mission companion Chris Thomas. The two sat on the bed, giggling over old times, their bare bodies telling and creating new stories together. As Connor heard the front door slam, signalling the return of his boyfriend/landlord/abuser, he'd slid the chain across the door. The two ex Mormons climbed under the covers and held onto one another, Connor had the strange urge to laugh at the absurdly threatening game of hide and seek. Chris was comforted by the redhead's smile and wore one himself.

Both were soon wiped away with the violence that followed. Steve had managed to push the door off its hinges and it dangled at an angle, still grasping to the chain that was meant to protect. Steve staggered into the room stinking of alcohol and the unusual substance that Connor never dared to ask about. He was angry, very angry. He was holding a baseball bat, which had shards of glass dug into the battered wood. He slurred his words as he spoke "McKinley! There's a car outside that doesn't belong to either of us. It's parked in my spot it's in my way!" Connor gripped the sheets nervously eyeing the weapon in the drunk man's hand. "Where the fuck am I supposed to park my car if there's another fucking car in the way!"

Connor gulped and opened his mouth to speak without a clue as to what to say.

"And you know what I think McKinley," he continued, "I think that the bastard who owns that car is in my house right now. And do you want to how I know this?" Connor shook his head "Because his cock is up your ass right now." He gestured with the bat at the lump under the covers where Chris was whimpering, hoping to go unseen. He raised the weapon over his head and brought it down over the human shaped lump next to Connor. Chris yelped as it made painful contact with his shoulder. He was slightly protected by the duvet but the pain seared up his back and he began to cry. "Stop it Steve," Connor protested weakly, "You have no right to tell me who I can and can't sleep with." He wished he sounded stronger. He was trying to untangle himself from the sheets, devising a plan to tackle Steve giving Chris a chance to escape.

Steve laughed a hollow, disgustingly sarcastic laugh. "No right? I own you McKinley! This is my fucking house and as long as you and your ass live here they both belong to me."

He wasn't sure how but Chris had managed to get out. Steve had discarded the bat so he could claw at Connor with his bare hands. Connor took the blows and scratches barely wincing in pain as they embedded themselves in old wounds.

Sometimes he thought he would just never come back. Whenever he was out he thought about never returning, running endless circles round the block. But he always found himself back on Steve's doorstep. Most often he was begging for forgiveness for receiving whatever abuse Steve had subjected him to.

It wasn't always like this though. When thongs seemed really bad for Connor he'd think of the times when Steve played the lover. He'd cook or run a bath, there'd be rose petals strewn on the bed, champagne. Steve would stroke Connor's hair, kiss him softly and profess love. Afterwards they'd have sex. Connor didn't know why Steve bothered with the pretence still. He knew deep down it was payment to take what he wanted. Connor felt, exploited, whored out and moulded like putty in the hands of a man who once made him feel weak at the knees. Maybe he still did, sometimes Connor couldn't tell. Connor liked to pretend that Steve cared. Even when Steve was selfishly fucking Connor, the gentle former district leader would strain with all his might to enjoy it.

Steve would climax first, slip out of Connor and roll onto the other side of the bed, or floor, where the action was taking place and fall asleep without another word. Connor would sometimes finish himself off but mostly he couldn't be bothered and he'd lie awake for hours, his ass throbbing with pain, his cock aching for the touch of a man who would appreciate him.

Connor had got used to Steve calling out other names while they had sex but he still felt guilty himself for replacing Steve's rough and callous hands with either Chris's gentle exploration or Kevin's protective care.

Connor suffered domestic abuse but who could he tell. No one would take him seriously and there were so few he trusted to know the details of his lifestyle.

Connor's chipped and broken lips almost smiled at Steve's observation. He hadn't left the house in over a week. The last time he had he'd come home past the curfew and Steve had questioned and questioned his whereabouts. Connor had cracked and let loose the name of a man who he had stumbled across in a club one night. It was a chance encounter, one he had dreamed about and it had gone as he had played it out in his head but when he came home that night he was reminded of his reality. "That dick!" Connor thought his eardrums might explode as he flinched against the wall, wary of the poised fist inches from his face.

"Stay away from that asshole, McKinley! I'll know if you see him again, I'll know if you so much as speak to him!" Connor cried himself to sleep that night. He remembered the kind look that the brown eyes had given him, the flutters he felt as he touched the perfect brunette hair and the feelings of absolute safety as defined arms wrapped around him.

It wasn't cheating he told himself, he and Steve weren't even dating. Steve just sometimes took sex. He was just trying to escape and tear himself away from the abusive relationship he convinced himself he didn't want. When Steve violated him he felt shame but when he was, or imagined he was, with other men he felt safe.

Steve had begun double locking the door from the outside to prevent Connor leaving. The already pale man now looked pallid and sickly, a ghost of his former self.

"Where would we go?" His voice cracked from lack of use. He daren't say much in front of Steve out of fear.

"Oh I know a place." He was in a good mood at least, thought Connor. Steve got up and headed to the front door, he wasn't planning on changing out of the outfit he'd worn for the past three days. Connor normally would have been disgusted, always paying special attention to his grooming on a night out but tonight he didn't care. He just wanted to leave, the sooner they got out the longer they'd be out. So he joined Steve quickly trying hard to show indifference instead of eagerness.

"But remember," Steve threatened, "You are still mine. Absolutely no flirting allowed." He winked and pinched Connor's ass hard who blushed.

Connor allowed himself to be dragged around most of the night, pinched, kicked and squeezed by Steve and all the type people Steve attracted to them.

By about midnight Steve was getting bored of the club he'd picked out for himself. "Let's go this place is old." Connor, despite all the pain he endured in the place, recognised it as better than what he had at home. Steve noticed the look the man was giving to the floor. "Want to stay out McKinley? Ok then, that place down the road, I'll sit at the bar and watch you dance. Plan?" Connor nodded unassuredly. The new club was less noisy and the clientele less thuggish. Steve perched on a bar stool, arrogantly swigging back a beer, the number he'd had that night now in double figures. He swayed and spilt some down his already stained shirt and motioned at Connor to begin his dance.

Connor knew how to please and guiltily relished the moments where Steve allowed him to dance, his favourite thing to do in the world. He was immersed, the music pounding in his ears, the smell of sweat uninhibiting of his fluid movement. He was so engrossed in the dance that others around him were blotted out, their bodies disappearing into his periphery. He didn't notice as he accidentally bumped the hip of the man behind him, who promptly fell over, stumbling and creating a domino effect with several around them.

The man swung round ready for confrontation but stopped as he saw Connor's face. "Connor?" The redhead groaned as he looked into the eyes of the man he least wanted to see in this state. "Is that you?" It seemed like a stupid question but Connor realised he hadn't seen his reflection in a long while. He probably looked awful. He instinctively reached up a hand to flatten his hair. "Yeah I guess."

"Wow Connor you look...you look..."

"Terrible," Connor finished "I know."

Kevin looked genuinely concerned "Poptarts said you were having a bit of trouble but I never thought-"

"I'm fine."

"Connor you have two black eyes!

"Do I?"

"Yes! Look Connor I'm gonna help you get out of there." He took hold of his hand but Connor seemed almost reluctant to take hold of it.

"Kevin, I know you're trying to help, but I love him."

Kevin looked incredibly shooked. "Look at what he's doing to you!"

"I try not to." He smiled dryly.

"Let's find somewhere quiet to talk ok? There's a nice place for strong coffee a couple doors down."

"I can't Kevin, I'm here with Steve."

Kevin sighed "Where is that bastard?"

"Over there." He pointed to the stool where Steve had been watching, but was alarmed to see it had now been vacated. Connor was confused but was reassured by Kevin "He's left you, stood you up, now let's get you out of here." He held an arm out for the shorter man to slip under. Connor made to lean into Kevin for support but just as he did he felt a sharp blow to the back of the head. It was lucky Kevin was there to catch him or he would have landed on the hard floor. He was out cold.


	2. Chapter 2

Connor stared up at the whiteness punctuated every few seconds with a flash of black. He was looking into a white sky, no trees or birds or clouds. Just an endless expanse of blank canvas.

A dark shape appeared above him in the sky, blurred and hard to distinguish it loomed a few feet away from him. It looked like a person. Vaguely recognisable it swam in and out of focus two black eyes looking back at him.

At first he thought it was a mirror, but dismissed this as he found he couldn't move his head an inch without a stabbing pain shooting through, Whereas this figure before him moved and sometimes wasn't there at all.

Connor drifted in and out of this strange consciousness, his eyes betraying the rest of his senses. His ears heard distorted deep voices, he heard his own name several times, he heard streams of numbers floating in and out of sequence.

He felt no concept of time. It could have been a second or a year all that he knew was that he couldn't pinpoint the start of it all and he couldn't see the end.

"His eyes are open!"

"Yes sir, I can see, but he is unconscious. He's stable but he's still in a state of delirium."

"How? That doesn't make sense look he's looking right at me."

"Please sir don't lean too close you'll confuse the patient."

"Connor, if you can hear me please...say something..." The blonde haired man's blue eyes filled and his voice trailed off.

"It's no use Chris," came a voice from the corner. "I've been trying for hours."

Poptarts sank into one of the spindly plastic chairs beside the bed and took hold of Kevin's hand. "He'll be ok though? Right?"

Kevin didn't say anything, just sighed and stared at the delicate man lying so pathetically in the bed.

"What happened Kevin? I came as soon as I could but I couldn't tell what you were saying down the phone."

"Do you think we could have some privacy?" Kevin asked the Dr, who nodded and backed out the room carrying Connor's chart. After a moments pause he continued.

"Look at him Chris, what do you think happened?"

"Was..? Was it...?" He whispered the last word "Steve?"

Kevin nodded. "We were just talking and he came over and hit him over the head with his beer bottle. I was right next to him and he collapsed into me but Steve wrenched him out of my arms and kicked him to the floor. I think he was out already but it was noisy and dark, I couldn't tell. I tried to pull Steve off but he just kept kicking and then he turned on me. Hence..." He gestured to the two black eyes he now shared with the redhead.

"OMGosh that's awful. Why doesn't he get out?"

"He says he loves him," Kevin said heavily. He looked down at the grey floor, scrubbed clean so many times but still looking grimy. His hair was flat, it was the morning and he hadn't slept. He didn't notice Chris staring at him.

"He'll be ok. He's strong."

"Not strong enough to leave," Kevin said bitterly to the floor.

Chris tentatively reached out a hand to brush some of the hair off Kevin's face. He was clumsy and the hair immediately flopped down again but it achieved the desired effect. To make Kevin notice him. The brunette looked at the blonde, his own eyes now pooling with tears. He shifted his chair closer and leaned in to the blonde man's face. "When he wakes up we'll be here for him."

Chris bridged the gap and the pair met in a still kiss. Chris's lips were soft and warm and Kevin's were slightly moist for continually licking them, the action he performed when he was most nervous.

The kiss gained some momentum as Chris leaned in closer supporting himself on Kevin's thigh. A light moan echoed through the room and it took both men several seconds to realise it had come from neither of them.

They broke apart and turned their heads simultaneously to the bed where Connor was sitting up. He had a look of pain on his face, both physical and emotional and he was staring straight at them.

"What are...?" Connor's lips were barely moving as his voice cracked with the effort of whispering.

"Welcome back." Kevin was relieved and he stood up leaving Chris to retreat back to his seat. "We were so worried."

"I could see."

Kevin had his hand reached out but paused unsure what to say. It was now hovering awkwardly above the man's shoulder.

"Maybe we should call the Dr?" Chris uncertainly phrased it as a question. He made to leave but was stopped by the sound of Connor trying to speak, breath rattling in and out his throat, the sound made him wince.

"Why don't you go Kevin. I want to talk to Chris. Alone." Kevin looked surprised and hurt but nodded and backed out the room keeping his eyes on the redhead for as long as possible.

When he'd gone Chris immediately turned to Connor "It wasn't what it looked like."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah we were just...I mean...we were just..."

"Playing tongue hockey?"

"Yeah! I mean no...oh God! Wait... Sorry god didn't mean that..." He collapsed back down into the chair and put his head in his hands. Connor gently lowered himself back onto the pillows trying to minimise the painful impact of soft sheets on his bruised body. He knew Chris would blab, Kevin he wasn't so sure about, but Chris was easy to extract information from.

"Ok," Chris said after a long silence "The important thing is that you're ok."

He looked over at the bed no sound coming from it. "Look Connor I don't know how to put this but you have to get away from Steve."

"I have no where else to go."

"You could come and live with us."

"Us?"

Chris twiddled with his thumbs and picked at his nails. "Yeah us...me and Kevin..."

"Oh I see."

"It's not...we're not."

"You just don't get it do you Chris. I love Steve. I love Kevin. For heavens sakes Chris I love you too!"

Chris stood up and looked down at the redhead lying on the bed. He took hold of the limp hand that rested on the sheet and squeezed. "Ow Chris what the hell?" Chris winced at the curse and at Connor's scratchy, hard words. His mind was racing desperately searching for something to patch up the moment. He leant down and inches from Connor's face whispered "I love you too."

Connor snorted in disgust and turned his face away. "You better not let Kevin hear you. How do think he'd feel if he walked in on his two best friends like this?"

As if on cue Kevin strode through the door the Dr following on the long legged man's heels. "Hello Mr McKinley. How are you feeling?"

Connor looked between the three men in the room and told the same lie he'd been telling himself nearly his whole life.

"I'm fine."


	3. Chapter 3

It was dark outside and the fluorescent yellow of the hospital lights cast a sickly glow over the man in the bed. He had his eyes closed, almost forced shut by the sudden swelling that had occurred, burnt and angry red contrasting with the purple bruises that attacked his eyelids.

The two chairs had been placed together and Kevin lay across them his legs dangling over the edge. Chris sat crosslegged and slumped over by the wall. He was fiddling with his shoelaces, tying knots and then untying them. An unbearable silence hung thick in the room that none of the men felt they could break.

Connor unwillingly was the one to do it. He broke into a coughing fit his chest painfully tightening as he tried to catch his breath. A uniformed nurse stepped in from the corridor outside and began to administer some injections. He checked his watch and wrote down details on a clipboard as he worked. Connor's breathing slowed just a little and his eyelids closed. The sleeping redhead appeared at peace for the first time that day.

"I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave," the nurse stated formally. "It's well beyond visiting hours."

"But I need to be there for him when he wakes up!" Kevin protested.

"Come back tomorrow morning and then you can take him home, we can discharge him then."

Kevin was astounded "You're sending him home in this state!"

The nurse looked sympathetic "He's stable and just needs a lot of rest, there's not much we can do here. And to be honest we need the beds."

"I'll be back first thing, before he even wakes up."

The nurse made way for Kevin to bend over Connor and give him a gentle chaste kiss on the lips. Chris looked up from his corner and debated doing the same but settled for just following Kevin out the room with a few final whispered words to Connor.

"I meant it Con, I do love you."

The next morning at the crack of dawn, Chris and Kevin waited impatiently as the incompetent man behind the desk fiddled with paper work.

"What name did you say?"

"Connor McKinley," Kevin said for the third time through gritted teeth.

There was a silence as the man typed. "I'm afraid we have no McKinley in this ward."

"Yes you do!" Kevin was exasperated and at the end of his tether. "We were here less that ten hours ago!"

"I've checked the records and Mr McKinley was discharged this morning."

"Yes we know, we're here to pick him up."

"Well according to this here it says he's already left."

"What?" Kevin grabbed at the computer screen and turned it round to face him only succeeding in ripping out a wire plunging it into darkness.

"Sir!" The indignant secretary exclaimed.

While Kevin vaulted over the desk and began fiddling with the wire himself Chris took the initiative to sprint down the corridor to the room Connor had been staying in. When he reached it he peered through the circular window but couldn't see the bed from the angle. He opened the door in trepidation and as he caught sight of the bed felt like fainting. It was empty and neatly made up.

He ran back down the corridor to where Kevin was wrestling the mouse from the secretary. "Excuse me sir but you are not authorised to look through the hospital records."

Kevin clicked the mouse a few times and gasped, face blanched, staring motionless at the screen. He motioned Chris to join him. They both looked for a long time at the black letters that spelt out the name of who had come to collect Connor.

**Steve Blade**

* * *

><p>"So what did you tell them?"<p>

"Nothing Steve."

"I don't believe you."

The two were in Steve's car driving back from the hospital. Connor winced every time they went over a speed bump. Steve noticed but made no attempt to slow down.

"Kevin rescued me when I could have died. He saw it all I didn't need to tell him anything."

"Rescued? So he's like your knight in shining armour now is he? Do you love him Connor? Do you love him more than me even though I pay for everything you bloody own? Everything you fucking touch?"

Steve was careering down the road, with no care for other drivers. It was early morning but Connor wouldn't have put it past him to already have been drinking.

"No Steve it's not like that. Anyway...he's with Chris now."

Steve laughed hollowly. "So in a strange turn of events the princess doesn't get the prince. How does that make you feel princess Connor?"

Tears we're streaming down the redheads face, he didn't even bother trying to hide them. "You're lucky I even picked you up McKinley. Otherwise you'd just rot in that hospital."

Connor thought about luck for a moment. He tried to think of a moment when he'd ever been lucky. It was lucky Kevin had been there to catch him he told himself. But then if Kevin hadn't been there Steve wouldn't have knocked him out.

When they arrived at Steve's grotty house, the blonde went straight to the door leaving Connor to lift himself out by himself. In a heap of aching muscles he limped slowly to the door where Steve was waiting. "Oh do take your time McKinley, it's not like I'm waiting or anything."

Connor didn't retaliate but staggered inside and landed in the nearest chair. "Is princess Connor comfortable?"

Connor looked up into the murky green eyes and nodded confused. "Then why is she sitting down and not doing something useful?"

This was really too much but Connor hadn't the strength to retaliate. With great difficulty he heaved himself up out of the chair, his legs and arms felt limp and weak, they shook at terrifying persistence.

Months of missionary training and years door to door had trained Connor's ear to the sound of door bells. Like a horse eased into gunshot he no longer flinched like many people when their doorbells rang, a signal of a home invasion. Steve headed over to the peephole surprised that they would have company. "Upstairs now McKinley!" He nearly shouted. Connor stumbled backwards but obeyed, climbing the stairs as fast as his tired legs would carry him.

Connor was used to being cleared out the way when Steve had visitors over. He usually hung around in the upstairs landing to overhear the conversations.

He nearly let out a cry as he heard a familiar voice downstairs "Where is he Steve?"

"Who?"

"You know fucking well who."

Connor's heart bounced into his throat as he heard the usually timid Chris raise his voice and curse, probably for the first time in his life.

"Where is he?" He heard Kevin repeat.

"There's no one else in this house."

"Liar!" Connor heard scuffling and a small struggle as Kevin pushed his way into the house, Chris followed at his heels, hiding behind the muscular frame for protection. "Connor?" Kevin yelled his footsteps heavy as he ran from room to room.

Connor didn't feel able to run down the stairs and fling himself into Kevin's arms so he opened his mouth to call out, but was stopped. An arm had wrapped around his chest from behind in vice like grip. Steve had with dexterity, silently climbed the stairs and reached Connor as he leaned unknowingly over the top of the stairs.

The constricting grip made him gasp but mostly his eyes were widening at the sight of the object in Steve's hand. A gleaming knife.

Connor felt the mouth come hot and breathy close to his ear and he flinched. "Don't make a sound McKinley or I'll shred that pretty little face of yours."


	4. Chapter 4

Kevin ran from room to room, feeling disgusted at the state Steve lived in. He was deeply regretting allowing Connor to stay. He'd wanted to let Connor make his own decisions and come to understand that he needed to leave by himself.

Now he realised he should have just rushed in and wrapped his arms around Connor, pull him away from the pain and the hurt, covering him with love. But it was too late, and now Connor was hurt.

He couldn't help but blame himself.

"Kevin!"

He was breathing heavily, his mind clouding over, he almost missed Chris's shout. He ran back to the hallway where Chris was still standing, looking up at the stairs.

"What is it?

"Steve, he disappeared."

"Connor!" Kevin yelled as loud as he could. But the house replied with silence.

"Maybe he's not here."

"He has to be." Kevin thought back to that name 'Steve Blade' in capitals on Connor's hospital form. How could he have let it happen? How could anyone have let this happen?

He caught his breath and turned to Chris who just stared back at him, unable to think of anything to say or do.

"Connor!" Kevin tried again, but there was less strength behind his voice this time. They were silent for a moment before their heads whipped upwards simultaneously at the muffled sound above.

Then Kevin was running up the stairs two at a time, colliding with the wall at the top in his haste, pushing himself to his feet and sprinting down the corridor.

Steve looked up instantly as the door opened.

"Don't move or I'll kill him." He didn't have to raise his voice or even put much intonation into it. It was obvious he was being serious. He had one arm round Connor's chest the other still holding the knife up to his throat.

Kevin slowly raised his hands and willed Connor to look at him. He couldn't tell if he'd fainted or if it was just the after effects of the drugs but Connor was limp in Steve's arms, his eyes closed. He said a silent prayer in the hopes that they hadn't been too late.

"You don't have to do this Steve."

"Give me one reason why not."

Kevin took a step forward and instantly Steve pressed the knife closer into Connor's neck. Connor opened his eyes and looked directly at Kevin, struggling to breathe steady.

"Kevin please…" His voice was so faint, Kevin barely heard him.

"Steve! You can't!"

Steve kept his focus on Kevin. "One more step and I won't even count to three."

"You don't have the guts." Kevin was trying hard to keep his voice steady, his heart beating fast in his chest as a million ideas of what to do ran through his head.

"Try me."

"Kevin I can't…" Connor was struggling to speak through the choking pressure Steve was putting on his throat. His lethargy from the drugs didn't help either. "You can fix this, just leave…"

"Look he's actually making some sense." Steve laughed hollowly and Connor winced at the sound. "Get out."

"I'm not leaving without Connor."

"He doesn't want you. He wants me. Don't you McKinley?"

Kevin was sure that if the knife pressed any harder it would break the skin. Connor gasped in pain and let out a small whimper.

"See?"

"Leave him alone Steve."

"If I can't have him no one can."

"Leave him alone, please."

"He loves me."

"No one could love you."

Suddenly Steve let go of his grip and Connor crumpled to the floor in front of him at the loss of support. Kevin made a move to help him up but Steve pointed the knife towards him preventing him from moving any further.

"Ask him."

"What?" Kevin was suspicious, wary of Steve's every move.

"Ask him who he loves."

Kevin looked between Steve and Connor, unmoving on the floor, he didn't have the strength to even raise his head.

"Connor…?" Kevin asked as gently as he could. Connor looked up with effort and met his eyes. "Who do you love?"

There was a long pause as Connor looked desperately into Kevin's face, wanting so badly to say the name of the man in front of him but knowing that the man behind had all the control.

"Steve," He said finally his voice breaking. "I…I love Steve. I love him."

Kevin shook his head slowly as he saw Connor's eyes fill with tears. Steve just stood their smirking. He grabbed Connor by the shoulder and lifted him off the floor moving his knife back to its previous position.

"You can leave now."

Kevin was speechless, his mouth parted slightly.

"Leave." Steve repeated in a firmer tone. Connor caught Kevin's eyes and they stared for a long moment, but Kevin didn't know what to do. His feet were almost about to betray him, beginning to angle themselves towards the door.

Suddenly Kevin was pushed sideways by the force of something shooting past him. Chris who had been just a few paces behind had launched himself at Steve. Steve didn't have time to react before his was on the floor, Chris on top of him, an unrelenting fist raised above his head. He punched Steve squarely in the face.

Connor was leaning against the wall for support, watching in shock as Chris raised his fist again. There was so much anger behind his eyes that he'd never seen emerge before.

Steve had dropped the knife in his surprise and it had skidded across the floor. His hands were now to his face trying to protect it from the stream of blows Chris was landing there.

Kevin had been standing still, staring at the scene, before he remembered how to move his legs. He went over to Connor and put an arm under his, helping him to his feet and supporting him on his shoulders.

"Come on," He said, holding tight to Connor's waist to stop him falling. Steve was preoccupied with Chris but as soon as he saw Kevin touch Connor he somehow found the strength to push him off and was struggling to his feet.

His eyes darted to the floor and he took a step forward reaching for the knife but before he could get there Connor had put his foot on it.

"Don't do this to me." Steve looked squarely into Connor's eyes and Connor looked back, not a single line of pity etched on his face. "I need you. I can't live without you."

"I can," Connor said weakly. He'd never seen Steve beg before. It made him feel uncomfortable and it made him not want to trust anything behind those eyes.

"I'll kill myself if you leave."

"Fine."

Steve opened his mouth to retaliate but no words came.

"You said you loved me."

Kevin held tighter to Connor, holding him close into him. He was looking at Steve the whole time, watching his every move and twitch, trying to read what was truly there.

"You said the same."

"And it was true." There was more than desperation in Steve's voice and Connor was starting to believe it.

"I think you used to love me and I used to love you. That was a long time ago. You don't love me anymore, and you don't need me, you just want me. But I don't belong to anyone and you can't have me anymore."

"What about him?" Steve nodded towards Kevin who had inched around putting himself between the two of them as protection. Then he turned round to Chris who was cradling his bruised knuckles. "And him?"

"I don't know."

"Then love me!" Steve was becoming hysterical, his voice growing rough as his throat tightened. Connor had never seen him cry before, but a few tears had escaped and were mixing with the blood running from his nose which looked broken.

"I'm sorry."

There was a long pause. Connor could feel the heaviness lighten slightly in his chest. The words he was saying were words he should have said a long time ago to Steve. He finally had the courage, and it might have had something to do with the arm round his shoulders.

He wasn't sure what was going to happen once he walked out that door, limping and clutching to one man he loved followed closely behind by another and leaving behind a third. But he knew that once he was outside of this house and these memories he'd be able to think clearly again. So he took a deep breath and said what he had to.

"I'm going to leave now Steve, and if you truly love me, you'll let me go."


End file.
